It may have taken until February, but winter has hit New York City hard. We don’t have snow, but temperatures have plummeted to presposterous...

Of all the classifications for chromaticity in the common names of birds, violaceous is certainly one of the most colorful. This word conjures images...

Another interesting, some might say antiquated color choice employed by those who get to name birds is plumbeous. Plumbeous refers to a heavy, leaden...

Some fortunate folks have been endowed throughout history with the awesome responsibility of ascribing common names to newly discovered avian species. Often, perhaps too...

Yellow-rumped Warbler The term may strike fear in the hearts of those dreading a nuclear winter, but for bird watchers, it evokes all the...

Did you know that this Sunday, October 8, is the 14th annual Big Sit! (exclamation point added by the organizers, not me.) The Big...

Descriptions of birds having cryptic coloration can seem confusing or even macabre to those who only know the word “crypt” as a synonym for...

This weekend was supposed to mark the Core Team’s first pelagic birding trip until high seas scuttled the expedition. What exactly does ‘pelagic’ mean,...